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The Cellar Below the Cellar: A Folk Horror Novella
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Expected 25 Mar 26A playfully dark folk horror inspired by the fairy tale "Vasilisa the Beautiful" and the mythology around Frau Perchta, set under the blazing sky of endless auroras. When a wild solar storm wipes out all electronics and traps Jane at her grandmother' s house in the woods, she is forced to start a new life off-grid as part of a small, isolated community. However, there is something very strange about her new neighbors, and the longer she lives under the eerie glow of the auroras, the more she feels her grandmother may be hiding unsettling secrets. To have any hope in her new world, Jane must find the courage to step into her power and claim her identity, but that would mean facing whatever hides in the cellar below the cellar— a place that seems to be waiting for her. Full of delightfully weird surprises and off-kilter characters, this adult coming-of-age story explores themes of female empowerment, spirituality, identity, and community. For fans of Kelly Link, Karen Russell, Ottessa Moshfegh, and Leonora Carrington.
- GenresHorror
180 pages, Paperback
Expected publication March 25, 2026
1 person is currently reading
193 people want to read
About the author
Ivy Grimes
19 books66 followersRecent author of The Ghosts of Blaubart Mansion (Cemetery Gates) and Glass Stories (Grimscribe Press).
Published in The Baffler, ergot., Maudlin House, hex, and by other nice people.
Published in The Baffler, ergot., Maudlin House, hex, and by other nice people.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
November 12, 2025
The Cellar Below the Cellar is about Jane and her story of self discovery. Stranded during an unprecedented weather event, she finds herself with the unappealing prospect of living with her domineering grandmother and the interfering neighbours in their small community. Jane suffers with arrested development somewhat, a traumatic event in her past has left her unable to fully understand herself both emotionally and spiritually. The events of the book prompt her to confront the truth about herself and the world around her.
This book blends tenderness and warmth with some dark, surreal moments, and in that way this feels very rooted in folkloric storytelling where danger and kindness always sit side by side.
Like the titular Cellar, there is much lurking below the surface in this novel and it would make a great starting point for anyone new to the author’s work. I think it would appeal to readers who enjoyed Marie Helene Bertino’s Parakeet, Hiroko Oyamada’s The Hole, Banana Yoshimoto’s Kitchen and of course, Sylvia Townsend Warner’s Lolly Willowes.
This book blends tenderness and warmth with some dark, surreal moments, and in that way this feels very rooted in folkloric storytelling where danger and kindness always sit side by side.
Like the titular Cellar, there is much lurking below the surface in this novel and it would make a great starting point for anyone new to the author’s work. I think it would appeal to readers who enjoyed Marie Helene Bertino’s Parakeet, Hiroko Oyamada’s The Hole, Banana Yoshimoto’s Kitchen and of course, Sylvia Townsend Warner’s Lolly Willowes.
February 22, 2026
The Cellar Below the Cellar follows a 30-something woman who had been visiting her rural grandmother when a solar storm knocked out all electronics across the neighborhood—and presumably across the world. And yet her grandmother doesn’t seem much surprised and springs immediately into teaching their neighbors how to survive in this new, low-tech world. While full of ideas, her grandmother is sparing with information and consistently frustrated with the lead’s indecision and fear of the titular cellar below the cellar, where lurks something magical, and perhaps horrible. In case the “presumably across the world” line didn’t clue you in, The Cellar Below the Cellar isn’t interested in exploring the wide-ranging societal impacts of the event. Instead, it focuses on the few people within walking range, with a particular focus on the progression of the lead’s ability to navigate both the mystical and the mundane.
While “something dark and scary in the cellar below the cellar” sounds like a straightforward horror premise, The Cellar Below the Cellar doesn’t necessarily feel like a horror story. There are several creepy elements that have the characters themselves terrified, but they engender more curiosity than fear in the readers. I’ve also seen it pitched as an adult coming-of-age, and that’s a bit closer. While the lead is fully grown when the story starts, she knows nothing of magic or how to handle an apocalyptic event, leading her to rely almost entirely on her grandmother for direction. The way that changes over the course of the novella feels like the tale’s major arc. Certainly, magic is revealed, but this isn’t the sort of book leading to a big, supernatural battle, nor is it a book about the reshaping of the world writ large. Instead, it’s about coming to terms with the natural and supernatural world as it is, right here and right now, and learning how to live in that knowledge.
It also isn’t the sort of book that’s going to spoonfeed the reader with clean, simple characters. The opening chapter leads with a demon-hunting pastor that I was utterly convinced would be the villain, just as I was convinced the lead’s grandmother would be the implacable, wise mentor. The truth is much more complicated. The lead’s grandmother is implacable and expert in key disciplines—both magical and mundane—but she’s often callous and is so extraordinarily tight-fisted with information as to almost seem like the villain at times. The pastor, on the other hand, seems earnest and likable enough, and there’s no voice-of-God to definitively tell the reader exactly what to make of the demon-hunting. This generalizes through the novella: the characters are consistently messy, with their own strengths and weaknesses and no one trait that defines their entire person, no matter how important that trait may be.
Ultimately, The Cellar Below the Cellar is an engaging novella for fans of small-scale stories with unexplained weirdness. It does offer a satisfying arc, but not an epic one, and it has no interest in ensuring that every flawed character is punished. The prose style doesn’t accentuate the horror elements so much as it centers the lead’s psychological journey in the ways she responds, but it’s a style that absolutely makes you want to keep reading. It’s not in my typical niche, and I’m probably not the book’s ideal audience, but I’m quite sure it will be a delight for readers looking for its particular sort of oddness.
While “something dark and scary in the cellar below the cellar” sounds like a straightforward horror premise, The Cellar Below the Cellar doesn’t necessarily feel like a horror story. There are several creepy elements that have the characters themselves terrified, but they engender more curiosity than fear in the readers. I’ve also seen it pitched as an adult coming-of-age, and that’s a bit closer. While the lead is fully grown when the story starts, she knows nothing of magic or how to handle an apocalyptic event, leading her to rely almost entirely on her grandmother for direction. The way that changes over the course of the novella feels like the tale’s major arc. Certainly, magic is revealed, but this isn’t the sort of book leading to a big, supernatural battle, nor is it a book about the reshaping of the world writ large. Instead, it’s about coming to terms with the natural and supernatural world as it is, right here and right now, and learning how to live in that knowledge.
It also isn’t the sort of book that’s going to spoonfeed the reader with clean, simple characters. The opening chapter leads with a demon-hunting pastor that I was utterly convinced would be the villain, just as I was convinced the lead’s grandmother would be the implacable, wise mentor. The truth is much more complicated. The lead’s grandmother is implacable and expert in key disciplines—both magical and mundane—but she’s often callous and is so extraordinarily tight-fisted with information as to almost seem like the villain at times. The pastor, on the other hand, seems earnest and likable enough, and there’s no voice-of-God to definitively tell the reader exactly what to make of the demon-hunting. This generalizes through the novella: the characters are consistently messy, with their own strengths and weaknesses and no one trait that defines their entire person, no matter how important that trait may be.
Ultimately, The Cellar Below the Cellar is an engaging novella for fans of small-scale stories with unexplained weirdness. It does offer a satisfying arc, but not an epic one, and it has no interest in ensuring that every flawed character is punished. The prose style doesn’t accentuate the horror elements so much as it centers the lead’s psychological journey in the ways she responds, but it’s a style that absolutely makes you want to keep reading. It’s not in my typical niche, and I’m probably not the book’s ideal audience, but I’m quite sure it will be a delight for readers looking for its particular sort of oddness.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Imagine if tomorrow there was no electricity. Most people would be struggling just to remember how to build a fire. Who would you turn to for help? Do you know your neighbors well enough to work with them? From Ivy Grimes, The Cellar Below the Cellar pushes a community closer together and forces everyone to face their fears.
Right away, the reader is introduced to unique characters. Paster Dan has been collecting demons which he stores in jar in his basement. Not just a spiritual hobby, he finds that it’s perfect for a third date, an idea Jane does not agree with. The Bundren family, a husband, wife, and three children, keeps to themselves. Withholding resources from the rest of the neighbors, isolation will be their undoing. Stephanie, a single mom with two children, is barely able to get out of bed when she falls into depression. Jane will be Stephanie’s greatest source of motivation. The Osprey family is pushy, nasty, and hiding a secret that stands to destroy their family. When their son, Derek, pulls into town, the true purpose of the cellar below the cellar is revealed.
In addition to the neighbors is Jane’s grandma, a strong, industrious woman. The relationship between Jane and her grandma is tense at best as the two are continuously at odds with each other. Grandma constantly reminds Jane of her birth rite, something she won’t fully explain and expects Jane to figure out on her own. All Jane knows is that it has something to do with her mother who died when she was very young. There are rare tender moments between the two that seem to mend their relationship. Though, the scenes where Jane is angry, even expressing hate for her grandma, seem more genuine.
Grimes does an amazing job of showcasing natural and supernatural horror. The unease and suspicion created when a natural event like the Disaster occurs is enough by itself. Then, force proximity with a neighbor everyone is convinced is a witch, throw in some spirits and… you have a unique twist on a post-apocalyptic story.
The use of European pagan and Christian religious elements ones is tastefully done. At no time did it feel like one or the other was being beaten up on or made to stand out as superior. Some of the religious characters experience a crisis of faith along the way and are supported by members of the other side without judgement.
At times, Jane serves more as a lens for the reader than a character in the story. When she expresses emotion, there is a tendency for her to overreact to minor situations or barely acknowledge tragic events. Despite this, the supporting characters more than make up for it, especially when everyone starts showing their true colors.
From Ivy Grimes, The Cellar Below the Cellar is the story of a woman coming into her birth rite and a community learning to work together. If helping the dead cross over and overcoming an apocalyptic event is your type of story, I recommend this novella.
Right away, the reader is introduced to unique characters. Paster Dan has been collecting demons which he stores in jar in his basement. Not just a spiritual hobby, he finds that it’s perfect for a third date, an idea Jane does not agree with. The Bundren family, a husband, wife, and three children, keeps to themselves. Withholding resources from the rest of the neighbors, isolation will be their undoing. Stephanie, a single mom with two children, is barely able to get out of bed when she falls into depression. Jane will be Stephanie’s greatest source of motivation. The Osprey family is pushy, nasty, and hiding a secret that stands to destroy their family. When their son, Derek, pulls into town, the true purpose of the cellar below the cellar is revealed.
In addition to the neighbors is Jane’s grandma, a strong, industrious woman. The relationship between Jane and her grandma is tense at best as the two are continuously at odds with each other. Grandma constantly reminds Jane of her birth rite, something she won’t fully explain and expects Jane to figure out on her own. All Jane knows is that it has something to do with her mother who died when she was very young. There are rare tender moments between the two that seem to mend their relationship. Though, the scenes where Jane is angry, even expressing hate for her grandma, seem more genuine.
Grimes does an amazing job of showcasing natural and supernatural horror. The unease and suspicion created when a natural event like the Disaster occurs is enough by itself. Then, force proximity with a neighbor everyone is convinced is a witch, throw in some spirits and… you have a unique twist on a post-apocalyptic story.
The use of European pagan and Christian religious elements ones is tastefully done. At no time did it feel like one or the other was being beaten up on or made to stand out as superior. Some of the religious characters experience a crisis of faith along the way and are supported by members of the other side without judgement.
At times, Jane serves more as a lens for the reader than a character in the story. When she expresses emotion, there is a tendency for her to overreact to minor situations or barely acknowledge tragic events. Despite this, the supporting characters more than make up for it, especially when everyone starts showing their true colors.
From Ivy Grimes, The Cellar Below the Cellar is the story of a woman coming into her birth rite and a community learning to work together. If helping the dead cross over and overcoming an apocalyptic event is your type of story, I recommend this novella.
November 10, 2025
The Cellar Below the Cellar is being billed as a folk horror novella. This is an odd choice, because it's so much more than that. Yes, there are elements of the sub-genre here—there are mysteries, and characters presenting in the form of cipher, there is even threat that hovers around the edges, but this is a unique, rare author, an alchemist of fiction. In everything Ivy Grimes writes, there is marvel and there is wonder, and both of these qualities transcend trappings such as genre or category.
Much of the story here is occulted from the reader. Things happen, characters move in and out of the frame, and magic is a routine, almost expected, occurrence. This magic is inexplicable, it simply exists as a part of the world set up for the reader to puzzle through. There are invisible demons in jars and there are dolls which may or may not be sentient; over everything is the strangely hesitant feeling of a dream. The world is ending, civilization is collapsing—or perhaps it isn't. What is presented on its face may be wearing a mask, but the author does not tear it off for you—it is up to you, the reader, to decide if you wish to reveal the truth beneath.
States of personal stasis and evolution seem to suggest that this is more of a Bildungsroman, but the coming of age is coming a bit late. A less-nuanced reader might write off the protagonist as "immature" or even "young," but here, it is simply that they are childlike, especially when thrown unceremoniously into this frighteningly new world, and especially when juxtaposed with a character like Grandma, whose eccentricities might seem at first to be the result of senility but which are actually anything but. In much the same way, elements of the narrative which might be categorized as be whimsical or nonsensical might be inextricably linked to the story, despite only seeming tertiary. Nothing is what it seems, and it is this uncanny unbalancing act that I find so extraordinary about Ivy Grimes' work. No one else so gently unmoors me as she.
As with all of the author's work, The Cellar Below the Cellar possesses a wild sense of wonder married to a sense of menace—one juxtaposed against the other in a frame that keeps disappearing when you stare too long at the overlap of the two. I personally like Ivy's work best when it leans more into the menace, but if I’ve learned anything from reading her, not everything need be a Manichaean struggle between light and dark—often it’s in the subtlest of shadows where I find the most meaning. Regardless, it always tickles my brain to read, and trying to solve the puzzle of the work in question is delightful. The Cellar Below the Cellar is no exception.
Much of the story here is occulted from the reader. Things happen, characters move in and out of the frame, and magic is a routine, almost expected, occurrence. This magic is inexplicable, it simply exists as a part of the world set up for the reader to puzzle through. There are invisible demons in jars and there are dolls which may or may not be sentient; over everything is the strangely hesitant feeling of a dream. The world is ending, civilization is collapsing—or perhaps it isn't. What is presented on its face may be wearing a mask, but the author does not tear it off for you—it is up to you, the reader, to decide if you wish to reveal the truth beneath.
States of personal stasis and evolution seem to suggest that this is more of a Bildungsroman, but the coming of age is coming a bit late. A less-nuanced reader might write off the protagonist as "immature" or even "young," but here, it is simply that they are childlike, especially when thrown unceremoniously into this frighteningly new world, and especially when juxtaposed with a character like Grandma, whose eccentricities might seem at first to be the result of senility but which are actually anything but. In much the same way, elements of the narrative which might be categorized as be whimsical or nonsensical might be inextricably linked to the story, despite only seeming tertiary. Nothing is what it seems, and it is this uncanny unbalancing act that I find so extraordinary about Ivy Grimes' work. No one else so gently unmoors me as she.
As with all of the author's work, The Cellar Below the Cellar possesses a wild sense of wonder married to a sense of menace—one juxtaposed against the other in a frame that keeps disappearing when you stare too long at the overlap of the two. I personally like Ivy's work best when it leans more into the menace, but if I’ve learned anything from reading her, not everything need be a Manichaean struggle between light and dark—often it’s in the subtlest of shadows where I find the most meaning. Regardless, it always tickles my brain to read, and trying to solve the puzzle of the work in question is delightful. The Cellar Below the Cellar is no exception.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
When I heard that the latest publication from Violet Lichen Books was a folktale-inspired horror novella, I knew I had to read it right away. Ivy Grimes’ The Cellar Below the Cellar beautifully combines elements from the Alpine figure Frau Perchta and the Russian fairy tale “Vasilisa the Beautiful”.
It starts, as all good stories do, at the end: Jane is forced to take refuge in her grandmother’s isolated house after a mysterious solar storm knocks out all electric power. Following her mother’s passing, Jane was raised by her grandmother, a strict woman who insists that they use her extensive collection of doomsday supplies to help their few neighbours. With the power grid totally dead and clean water running out, they must quickly adapt to this new way of living while the weather is still warm.
However, it soon becomes apparent that there’s something off about the situation; not only is Jane’s grandmother hiding secrets, but the Ospreys, their demanding neighbours, keep piling chores on her and treating her as if she’s a child. On top of the literal atmospheric phenomena, the eponymous subcellar inspires a potent atmosphere of creeping dread, and Jane can’t quite pinpoint why she’s so terrified of going down there. Grimes plays with ambiguity: is Jane inheriting her late mother’s mental health issues, or is there really something supernatural afoot?
Without going into spoilers, I will say that I love how the fantasy elements of this story are incorporated. Jane’s gradual immersion is the perfect way to keep the reader guessing what may really be going on, and what’s waiting for Jane down in the cellar. It’s impressive how well Grimes conveys entire seasons passing within such a limited word count, which makes Jane’s acceptance of the strange developments much more believable.
The Cellar Below the Cellar poignantly deals with death and grief, including recent losses and moving on from old wounds, as well as the importance of community and embracing one’s talents within it. Grimes’ penchant for the morbid and strange perfectly suits the tone of the original, darker versions of fairy tales, and left me enraptured with every page.
This review is crossposted: https://imaginatlas.ca/catch-of-the-m...
It starts, as all good stories do, at the end: Jane is forced to take refuge in her grandmother’s isolated house after a mysterious solar storm knocks out all electric power. Following her mother’s passing, Jane was raised by her grandmother, a strict woman who insists that they use her extensive collection of doomsday supplies to help their few neighbours. With the power grid totally dead and clean water running out, they must quickly adapt to this new way of living while the weather is still warm.
However, it soon becomes apparent that there’s something off about the situation; not only is Jane’s grandmother hiding secrets, but the Ospreys, their demanding neighbours, keep piling chores on her and treating her as if she’s a child. On top of the literal atmospheric phenomena, the eponymous subcellar inspires a potent atmosphere of creeping dread, and Jane can’t quite pinpoint why she’s so terrified of going down there. Grimes plays with ambiguity: is Jane inheriting her late mother’s mental health issues, or is there really something supernatural afoot?
Without going into spoilers, I will say that I love how the fantasy elements of this story are incorporated. Jane’s gradual immersion is the perfect way to keep the reader guessing what may really be going on, and what’s waiting for Jane down in the cellar. It’s impressive how well Grimes conveys entire seasons passing within such a limited word count, which makes Jane’s acceptance of the strange developments much more believable.
The Cellar Below the Cellar poignantly deals with death and grief, including recent losses and moving on from old wounds, as well as the importance of community and embracing one’s talents within it. Grimes’ penchant for the morbid and strange perfectly suits the tone of the original, darker versions of fairy tales, and left me enraptured with every page.
This review is crossposted: https://imaginatlas.ca/catch-of-the-m...
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Grimes’s prose is impactful and poetic, pulling you in as the world ends around the characters within. The novella follows the protagonist, Jane, who is living a normal life when — visiting her grandmother — an event happens and the world as she knows it ends.
What follows is a soft, gentle reckoning. What does it mean to confront death? To survive and need to continue surviving. When your worst worry the day before was finding a date, a partner, and now its finding food, dealing with a strangeness in the land, and the secrets left unconfronted? She contends with mourning the life she knew, grappling with new responsibilties, and the knowledge that something waits in the cellar beneath the cellar.
Jane’s grandmother, in all this, remains calm, mysterious, and at times — frustrating. She guides as much as allows Jane the space to flounder. Send her out to aid the strange neighbours as everyone bands together to survive.
Normally coming of age stories refer to kids, teens, but The Cellar Below The Cellar is a story about a modern woman caught in the limbo of the modern world and given the chance to come into her own with a world altering event. Jane is forced to grow up, take charge, pick up responsibility in a new reality where she must depend on others and allow others to depend on her.
Written like a vintage, delicate, and beautiful fairy tale, this novella is comforting and hopeful, even in its darkness.
And what lies in the cellar beneath the cellar? You’ll have to read it for yourself to find out.
Overall, I was really sucked into the story and loved being swathed in Grimes’s writing. To me, this was such a hopeful story — that life can change for the better no matter what. That anyone can have their “coming of age” and I love that.
I also really loved the fantastical fairy tale elements of the novella — from the cellar, to the dolls, to the demon jars, to the classic grandmother in the woods. This novella is definitely on my favourites list.
What follows is a soft, gentle reckoning. What does it mean to confront death? To survive and need to continue surviving. When your worst worry the day before was finding a date, a partner, and now its finding food, dealing with a strangeness in the land, and the secrets left unconfronted? She contends with mourning the life she knew, grappling with new responsibilties, and the knowledge that something waits in the cellar beneath the cellar.
Jane’s grandmother, in all this, remains calm, mysterious, and at times — frustrating. She guides as much as allows Jane the space to flounder. Send her out to aid the strange neighbours as everyone bands together to survive.
Normally coming of age stories refer to kids, teens, but The Cellar Below The Cellar is a story about a modern woman caught in the limbo of the modern world and given the chance to come into her own with a world altering event. Jane is forced to grow up, take charge, pick up responsibility in a new reality where she must depend on others and allow others to depend on her.
Written like a vintage, delicate, and beautiful fairy tale, this novella is comforting and hopeful, even in its darkness.
And what lies in the cellar beneath the cellar? You’ll have to read it for yourself to find out.
Overall, I was really sucked into the story and loved being swathed in Grimes’s writing. To me, this was such a hopeful story — that life can change for the better no matter what. That anyone can have their “coming of age” and I love that.
I also really loved the fantastical fairy tale elements of the novella — from the cellar, to the dolls, to the demon jars, to the classic grandmother in the woods. This novella is definitely on my favourites list.
Review of advance copy
Beautiful atmosphere with a lingering dread.
The Cellar Below the Cellar: A Folk Horror Novella suspends the reader in a dreamy, rustic apocalypse of sorts. The characters must navigate a perplexing world within a world of unfolding mysteries under the haunting glow of an ever-present aurora.
The author’s unique brand of unquiet horror truly shines in this liminal tale of survival, with a fascinating blend of comfort and discomfort present throughout – as if the reader were wrapped in the coziest of blankets, teetering on the edge of some frigid void.
I loved the dynamic between the main character, Jane, and the peculiar cast of supporting characters, some of which are quite surreal. Jane’s Delphic grandmother was a particular standout, But there is so much more to discover!
Between the pages exists a curious world that is floating away inside of an eerie bubble, and across its membrane flow the questions of a mysterious nether realm. The Cellar Below the Cellar will leave you calmly unsettled, provoking many thoughts along the way.
The Cellar Below the Cellar: A Folk Horror Novella suspends the reader in a dreamy, rustic apocalypse of sorts. The characters must navigate a perplexing world within a world of unfolding mysteries under the haunting glow of an ever-present aurora.
The author’s unique brand of unquiet horror truly shines in this liminal tale of survival, with a fascinating blend of comfort and discomfort present throughout – as if the reader were wrapped in the coziest of blankets, teetering on the edge of some frigid void.
I loved the dynamic between the main character, Jane, and the peculiar cast of supporting characters, some of which are quite surreal. Jane’s Delphic grandmother was a particular standout, But there is so much more to discover!
Between the pages exists a curious world that is floating away inside of an eerie bubble, and across its membrane flow the questions of a mysterious nether realm. The Cellar Below the Cellar will leave you calmly unsettled, provoking many thoughts along the way.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Brilliant.
Grimes's extraordinary tonal mastery is evident here from the very first sentence: the apocalyptic opening clause, the almost petty relationship drama middle, and then the deadpan absurdity of the final phrase.
I tire very quickly of marketing categories, but the subtitle "A Folk Horror Novella" is appropriate. THE CELLAR BELOW THE CELLAR is not the work of someone who saw MIDSOMMAR and thought it was "a vibe". It is the work of an artist truly engaged with oral storytelling traditions.
It's also the first of Ivy's works in which I feel I can detect particular literary influences: O'Connor, Brautigan, Shirley Jackson—by contrast, GLASS STORIES reads like something that simply appeared from another world—but this does not diminish the originality of her vision one jot.
The voice is conversational in a way that is never precious; Jane is never the kind of forced-quirky narrator who so often shows up to annoy me these days, but an authentic character.
This is the real thing: weird fiction that's actually weird. Not a redundant tentacle in sight.
I've said it before and I say it now: Ivy Grimes is the one of the most—quite possibly the very most—singular young talents in the field today.
Grimes's extraordinary tonal mastery is evident here from the very first sentence: the apocalyptic opening clause, the almost petty relationship drama middle, and then the deadpan absurdity of the final phrase.
I tire very quickly of marketing categories, but the subtitle "A Folk Horror Novella" is appropriate. THE CELLAR BELOW THE CELLAR is not the work of someone who saw MIDSOMMAR and thought it was "a vibe". It is the work of an artist truly engaged with oral storytelling traditions.
It's also the first of Ivy's works in which I feel I can detect particular literary influences: O'Connor, Brautigan, Shirley Jackson—by contrast, GLASS STORIES reads like something that simply appeared from another world—but this does not diminish the originality of her vision one jot.
The voice is conversational in a way that is never precious; Jane is never the kind of forced-quirky narrator who so often shows up to annoy me these days, but an authentic character.
This is the real thing: weird fiction that's actually weird. Not a redundant tentacle in sight.
I've said it before and I say it now: Ivy Grimes is the one of the most—quite possibly the very most—singular young talents in the field today.
October 26, 2025
Ivy Grimes has a one-of-a-kind voice and is at her best here! A wonderfully strange and surreal coming-of-age story of an already-grown woman who still needs to come into her own. The unique take on an apocalyptic setting and the lively cast of characters made this a pleasure to read.
November 3, 2025
A dark yet funny coming-of-age story that blends folklore and post-apocalypse. Adorable characters, true evil and disappearing vegetables. Oh, and a beautiful reflection on death. A quick read, but I found it lingering in my mind long after I closed it.
December 16, 2025
The world ends, we end. A great mix of apocalyptic fiction and folklore-style storytelling. The first part is more about the end of the world, the second part goes elsewhere. The characters are iconic in the Scott McCloud sense of the word, which I think is exactly what this sort of story calls for, and yet there's still room for nuance and reflection.
There's this one insanely creepy image that's going to stick with me for a long time to come, the sort of thing you can only get in a folktale, and ever since I finished the book I've been trying to figure out how it works. I think part of it is that it's not necessarily threatening, but it could be. I don't know.
There's this one insanely creepy image that's going to stick with me for a long time to come, the sort of thing you can only get in a folktale, and ever since I finished the book I've been trying to figure out how it works. I think part of it is that it's not necessarily threatening, but it could be. I don't know.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews